Do the Braves Need a Fallback Plan for Spencer Strider?

Spencer Strider entered last season as a Cy Young favorite on an Atlanta Braves team with World Series aspirations.

Those hopes were quickly derailed as he left his second start of the year due to elbow discomfort.

On April 12, Strider underwent internal brace surgery , the second elbow surgery of his career.

While the surgery ended his 2024 season, the good news was he avoided a second Tommy John procedure.

Typically, a second elbow surgery can easily spell doom for most pitchers.

Spencer Strider isnt just most pitchers.

Elbow Surgery On a recent interview with local radio hosts Cellini & Dimino on 680 The Fan , Braves general manger Alex Anthopoulos shared an optimistic update regarding Spencer Strider: Strider will come to spring training like a normal Spring.

Hell have it the exact same.

He will appear in games.

I dont know yet how many innings hell throw, how deep well take him, and so on.

The plan is for them (Strider and Ronald Acuna Jr.) to not be on the Opening Day Roster.

We said that from the get go just to protect them.

Hearing that Strider is healthy enough to fully participate in spring training is music to Braves fans ears.

Though its likely we wont see him back on the mound in a regular season game right away, the Braves are making the right decision by prioritizing his long-term health.

His arm is far more crucial come October.

The key to this quick recovery is that the second elbow surgery was not Tommy John.

Internal brace surgery is much less invasive than Tommy John, allowing Strider to streamline his recovery process.

Believe it or not, Striders elbow issue can be attributed all the way back to 2019 , when he underwent Tommy John surgery while at Clemson University.

A bone fragment had developed in his repaired elbow, causing him to have potentially pitched with this fragment in his elbow for years.

Anthopoulos stated in the same interview with 680 The Fan: When he went through Tommy John the first time, that was in college, he was doing it all on his own.

He was rehabbing on his own and he just looks back now and he thinks its crazy that he did it all on his own.

Hes told us that he feels incredible.

The thing with Spencer is the work ethic is elite.

Hes just going to get every ounce out of his abilities.

So, were pretty optimistic and confident hes going to be good.

While it remains to be seen how dominant Strider will be in 2025, the Braves are cautiously optimistic that he can return to form and reclaim his role as the ace of the rotation.

Whats Next for the Rotation? Can Atlanta rely on Strider to return being the ace of the Braves rotation? This is the question Braves fans are pondering themselves.

Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, and Spencer Schwellenbach are all secure in the rotation, and with the return of Strider this leaves one spot to fill.

As the season draws closer, its looking more and more likely that Atlanta will turn to in-house options to fill this void.

Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Ian Anderson appear set to compete during spring training.

You can find more in-depth reasonings for some of this options in a previous article of mine .

While these names might not excite the fanbase, they could serve as viable placeholders until the trade deadline, when the Braves can reassess their options.

The focus, as always, will be on maintaining depth and health.

This lesson was painfully reinforced during last seasons injury-plagued season.

With Sale another year older and the unknown that is Spencer Strider, depth at the starting pitcher position needs to be a priority.

External Options Though the Braves have traditionally shy away from major free-agent signings, there are a few intriguing options still on the market.

Max Scherzer fits the mold of a typical Braves target.

Jack Flaherty would solidify an Atlanta Braves rotation that could compete with anyone, however his contract demands may put him out of Atlantas price range.

More affordable options such as Kyle Gibson , Jose Quintana, Nick Pivetta, and Andrew Heaney could be in play as well.

When asked whether the team has the financial flexibility to make a significant addition, Anthopoulos offered an encouraging response: Yes.

The Braves are highly selective in who they spend money on, but when they identify a player worth spending on they will not hesitate to do so.

Predicting Braves trade targets is notoriously tricky under Anthopoulos.

He often identifies players few expect, and is most notably known for running a tight ship.

Rarely will rumors leak out to the media and general public regarding Braves targets.

One thing is certain: the Braves will do their due diligence to ensure the roster is ready to make another run at the World Series.

2025 Outlook The 2025 season will hinge on the health and performance of key players like Spencer Strider.

The organization must decide whether to trust the current options they have at starting pitcher or pursue reinforcements elsewhere.

Until they give me a reason not to, I will continue to trust in the process of Anthopoulos, Terry McGuirk, and the Braves organization.

The Braves are poised to contend yet again in 2025.

If Strider can return to form once healthy, he may just be the spark the Braves need for another deep October run in the postseason.

This article first appeared on Just Baseball and was syndicated with permission..

This article has been shared from the original article on yardbarker, here is the link to the original article.